How to Get Physically and Financially Fit

Getting fit and saving money are two of the most frequently cited goals, no matter what time of year. But it doesn’t take making a resolution to get you motivated or help keep your spending in check. If you want to slim your waist while padding your savings account, we have four tips to get you started.

Skip the gym and save the money. Instead of signing up for a gym and getting locked into an expensive monthly contract, look for fun ways to workout outside the gym. Runner’s World suggests 27 free or cheap fitness apps that can help you track and improve your running. If it’s too cold outside or running isn’t your thing, there are plenty of indoor exercises that require little or no equipment.

Find inexpensive classes. If you enjoy working out alongside others in a class but want to avoid the costly fees, you have several options. Jump between classes with discount vouchers from daily deal sites like Groupon or Living Social. Ask the studio if they’ll trade you access to classes in exchange for working a few hours behind the counter or cleaning the facilities each month. You may be able to barter other services for studio time. Alternatively, look for free community center classes or other venues that offer sliding scale fees that vary depending on your income.

Make money a motivator. Several apps and websites tie health to wealth in a motivational way. Pact lets users place a wager on how many times they will workout, track their meals, or eat fruits and vegetables each week. If you miss a day you have to pay up, but if you succeed for the entire week you earn a share of the money others paid. In a similar manner, you can put money on the line and bet that you’ll lose weight using DietBet or HealthyWage.

Shop healthy and save. Regular exercise is part of getting and staying physically fit, but if you want to be healthy, maintaining a nutritious diet is important as well. Try to stay away from processed foods that are high in fats and sugars. One quick tip is to shop the outer ring of grocery stores, which is often where you find the fresh produce, dairy and meats. According to ananalysis of 27 studies by the Harvard School of Public Health, a diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish can cost about $1.50 more a day than less-healthy diets. The initial investment may pay off — the cost of treating chronic diseases is much more than the cost of healthy food, according to Dariush Mozafarrian, senior author of the analysis.

Saving money and getting in shape can require desire, willpower and consistency. If you want to succeed, try some of these tips to work on both areas of your life at once. Keep with it and the long-term results may surprise you.